Die mounting machine having removable cylinder and method of removing and replacing its cylinder



H. C. TAYLOR Dec. 15, 1964 DIE MOUNTING MACHINE HAVING REMOVABLE CYLINDER AND METHOD 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 19, 1962 Q J o m Q Q Q Q \\\I. Q Q Q Q Q .3 hwwk QM ll H m i .1 :5 .:::...5:. V X I a 5.. we a QQW a o QQ\ II NM N% w Mm Dec. 15, 1964 H. c. TAYLOR 3,161,129

DIE MOUNTING MACHINE HAVING REMOVABLE CYLINDER AND METHOD OF REMOVING AND REPLACING ITS CYLINDER Filed March 19, 1962 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 151-72" I/FZ I. [02' H. C. TAYLOR DIE MOUNTING MACHINE HAVING REMOVABLE CYLINDER AND METHOD 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Dec. 15, 1964 OF REMOVING AND REPLACING ITS CYLINDER Filed March 19, 1962 H. C. TAYLOR HAVING REMOVA Dec. 15, 1964 3,161,129 BLE CYLINDER AND METHOD DIE MOUNTING MACHINE OF REMOVING AND REPLACING ITS CYLINDER Filed March 19, 1962 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Dec. 15, 1964 H. c. TAYLOR DIE MOUNTING MACHINE HAVING REMOVABLE CYLINDER AND METHOD OF REMOVING AND REPLACING ITS CYLINDER 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 19, 1962 1 Hi! w: 5 229 202" Dec. 15, 1964 H. c. TAYLOR DIE MOUNTING MACHINE HAVING REMOVABLE CYLINDER AND METHOD OF REMOVING AND REPLACING ITS CYLINDER Filed March 19, 1962 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 United States Patent 3,161,129 DIE MQUN'HNG MAQHINE HAVEN G REMGVABLE CYLINDER AND WTHGD 0F REMGVING AND REPLAQKNG ITS CYLINDER Harvey C. Taylor, Milwaukee, Wis assignor to Don Sales d; Engineering (10., inc, Milwaukee, Wis, a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Mar. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 189,668 4 Claims. (Cl. 101-212) This invention relates to the mounting of flexible printing dies such as those used quite extensively on printerslotters for imprinting corrugated board cartons and containers. More specifically, this invention relates to the premounting of flexible dies made of rubber or the like upon Mylar die mounting sheets, for subsequent attachment to the cylinders or rolls of printer-slotters or other presses, in the manner described in the copending application of Harvey C. Taylor, Serial No. 164,520, filed January 5., 1962, now Patent No. 3,103,169.

Experience has conclusively demonstrated that it is far more advantageous to effect the pre-mounting of the dies, while the die mounting sheet is supported on a curved surface of the same radius as the cylinder or roll of the press upon which the die is positioned during use.

It is therefore the purpose and object of this invention to provide a simple machine which has a cylinder removably mounted therein to substantially duplicate the situation in the press, and on which the premounting of dies upon die mounting sheets may be very accurately and expeditiously effected.

With a view towards facilitating the removal and replacement of the cylinder of the machine, the invention has as another of its objects to provide a very simple method of disengaging or lifting the cylinder from its bearings which involves no structure other than that already present in the machine, the operation being effected by producing relative vertical adjustment between the cylinder bearings and a horizontal table which is positioned below the cylinder and normally coacts with the cylinder to provide a printing couple for proofing the pro-mounted dies.

A further object of this invention is to provide a die mounting machine having means to enable checking the pre-mounted dies with a view to attaining better register between a plurality of pre-mounted dies needed for multicolor printing.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel method, and in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate several'complete examples of the physical embodiments of the invention, constructed according to the best modes so far devised for the practical application of the principle thereof, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View of a die mounting machine constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the machine;

FIGURE 3 is an end view thereof;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective diagrammatic view illustrating the manner in which the machine of this invention facilitates the positioning of dies upon a die mounting sheet;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a cylinder having a die mounting sheet thereon, and illustrating a number of. dies in position on the sheet;

FIGURE 6 is a more or less diagrammatic view through 7 3,161,129 Patented Dec. 15, 1964 ice the cylinder of the machine, and illustrating the manner in which checking of the pre-mounted dies for register may be accomplished with this machine.

FIGURE 7 is a diagrammatic view illustrating how the machine may be used to effect proofing of pre-mounted dies;

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of a portion of the machine, showing the way in which the machine is employed'in proofing;

FIGURE 9 is a view diagrammatically illustrating the manner in which a cylinder may be transferred from the machine to a supporting stand;

FIGURE 10 is a diagrammatic end view of the machine, illustrating still another modification of the structure used in proofing; and

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the machine, illustrating another way in which the machine, in slightly modified form, may be used in proofing.

Referring now particularly to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals identify'like parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 designates the base of the die mounting machine of this invention and which comprises a pair of upright end frames 11 rigidly connected together at their bottoms by a longitudinally extending central structural member 12 and farther up by a pair of tie rods 13. Diagonal braces 14 connected to the end frames and the member 12 provideadded rigidity for the structure; and casters 15 at the corners of the base give it mobility.

The end frames are generally A-shaped and have in clined legs 16 connected at their upper ends by plates 17 and below these plates by cross bars 18. The lower ends of the legs are connected by cross members 19 to the center of which the longitudinal central structural member 12 is secured.

The end plates 17 at the upper ends of the end frames have parallel vertical guide rails 21 secured to their inner faces at equal distances from, the center lines of the frames. These rails 21 provide guideways in which the opposite ends of a table supporting beam 22 are slidably received, the top of which has a fiat, horizontal table 23 secured thereto. This table structure is supported for up and down adjustment by screws 24 projecting down from the beam 22 at the ends thereof, and threaded in special nuts 25 which are freely rotatably mounted in gear boxes 26, but held thereby against up or down motion; the gear boxes being fixed to the end frames. Consequently, by simultaneous rotation of the nuts 25, upward or downward translation of the table may be effected, and to impart simultaneous rotation to both nuts 25 they are connected by meshing miter gears 27 to a drive shaft 28 which is journalled in the gear boxes and has one end thereof projecting outwardly beyond the adjacent gear box to have a crank-handle 29 removably secured thereto. Any conventional separable driving connection may be used to attach the handle to the drive shaft.

At their upper extremities, the two end frames mount coaxial bearings 30 in which the journals 31 of a cylinder 32 are freely rotatably supported, and held by hearing caps 33 removably secured in place by screws 34. Compressible shims 35 are preferably provided between the bearing caps and the bearings, so that the bearing caps may be drawn down as needed to restrain the cylinder against turning t-oo freely.

The bearings 30 are secured to the end frames by cap screws 31?, and interposed between the bearings and the frames and secured by the same screws 36 are arms 37 which project forwardly from the frames a substantial distance beyond the periphery of the cylinder. The arms 37 provide support for a straight edge 38, the opposite ends of which rest upon the arms 37 and have clamps 39 fixed thereto to provide means for locking the straight edge in any adjustedposition along the length of the arms, and hence with respect to the periphery of the cylinder. To this end, the clamps 39 slidably embrace the arms 37 and have clamping screws 41 threaded therein andbearing against the undersides of the arms 37.

The straight edge 38 has a slide 42 mounted thereon for traverse along the length of the cylinder, or to be locked in any desired position by a clamping screw 43. The slide projects above the top of the straight edge and carries a spring loaded socket 44 in which a pencil 45 or other suitable scribing instrument or tool may be secured, with its point towards the adjacent side of the cylinder. Being spring loaded, the socket 44 yieldingly urges the pencil 45 toward the side of the cylinder. Attention is directed to the fact that the parts are so proportioned that the pencil is in horizontal alignment with the axis of the cylinder.

At one point in its circumference, the cylinder is equipped with a row of sheet-attaching elements 46. These sheet-attaching elements may be headed pins similar to those employed on the cylinder of the aforesaid copending application. In any event, the headed pins or sheet-attaching elements 46 are equispaced and arranged in a row across the length of the cylinder and parallel to its axis. To provide means for hooking one end of a die mounting sheet 47 to the cylinder, the sheet has a row of grommeted holes 48 extending across each end thereof and, of course, spaced in correspondence with the spacing of the pins 46. As more fully described in the aforesaid application, the die mounting sheet 47 is preferably made of Mylar and, hence, for all practical purposes is nonstretchable.

The sheet is mounted on the cylinder by hooking the grommeted holes at one end thereof onto the pins 46, and securing its opposite end or tail to the surface of the cylinder, either by pressure sensitive adhesive tape, or, as illustrated in FIGURE 5, by means of rubber bands 49 passed through the adjacent grommeted holes and hooked onto the pins 46. In this way the die mounting sheet is drawn into snug surface-to-surface engagement with the cylinder.

With a die mounting sheet attached to the cylinder in the manner described, the location or locations of the dies to be mounted thereon are delineated on the sheet, using the pencil 45. To aid in spotting the dies, the cylinder has a longitudinal scale 50 and one or more circumferential scales 51 delineated directly thereon, or on Mylar strips which are then secured to the cylinder, it being understood that Mylar die mounting sheets are at least semi-transparent so that the scales can be seen therethrough.

In spotting or boxing in the die locations on a die mounting sheet attached to the cylinder, longitudinal lines are drawn on the sheet by moving the slide carrying the pencil lengthwise along the straight edge 38, while the cylinder is held against rotation, and circumferentially extending lines are drawn on the sheet by locking thhe pencil-carrying slide against shifting on the straight edge and rotating the cylinder. To facilitate rotating or turning the cylinder one of its journals has a square end 52 to fit the handle 29.

When the proper die locations have been delineated upon the sheet, the dies 53 are bonded to the sheet by any suitable adhesive, and it is important to observe that this entire operation takes place with the die mounting sheet supported on a curved surface identicalto that 'of the cylinder for which the pre-mounted dies are prepared. Accordingly, utmost accuracy in the location of the dies is assured and, as a result, all guess work in the location of the dies is eliminated.

The machine not only facilitates accurate placement and mounting of the dies upon the die mounting sheets, but it also enables proofing of the mounted dies before they are removed from the machine.

To enable proofing to be done on the machine, the

table 23 has a pair of side guides 55 mounted thereon for adjustment lengthwise of the cylinder, and hold-down rollers 56 which are adjustable along with the side guides to ride upon the sheet or corrugated board P used in taking the proof. Although the specific manner in which the side guides are adjustably mounted on the table is not important, for sake of simplicity each guide is fixed to a block 57 which has a tongue 58 on its underside, slidably received in a slot 59 in the table top, the slot being parallel to the cylinder axis. The hold-down rollers 56 are likewise carried by the blocks 57 to which they are connected by right-angularly shaped arms 66, pivoted in the blocks so that the rollers are free to move up and down and rest upon the proof sheet 1 as the same is fed between the side guides, across the table and under the cylinder. The side guides are scour-able to the table in any adjusted position by means of clamping screws 61, tightening of which draws cross bars 61 against the undersides of the table top.

To support long proof sheets, arms 62 are hingedly connected to the front of the table top, as at 63, to be swung from a retracted position lying fiat against the front of the table top to an extended position projecting outwardly therefrom.

For proofing, it is of course necessary that the table 23 be at an elevation correctly spaced with respect to the die or dies on the cylinder, so that the proper printing presusre will be obtained. To enable this relationship to be achieved is one of the purposes of having the table vertically adjustable, the adjustment being effected, as noted hereinbefore, by turning the drive shaft 28 one way or the other; and by virtue of the table height adjustment, proofing is possible regardless of the diameter of the cylinder, which will vary with the press or presses for which the pre-mounted dies have been prepared. Thus, whether the cylinder is of the maximum diameter for which the machine is designed, or the minimum diameter, it is always possible to bring the proofing table to the proper height for correct impression.

While adequate proofing is ordinarily possible in the manner just described, the need for sliding the proof sheet across the table 23 constitutes a source of potential error, since it might cause slippage between the sheet and the dies on the cylinder. If it is important that this possibility be positively averted, a freely rotatable impression cylinder can be substituted for that part of the fiat table directly opposite the underside of the cylinder 3-2, as illustrated in FIGURE 10. This would, of course, entail substituting some other structural support for the table, as for instance bearing blocks 81 to which the front and rear table sections 23' could be secured in coplanar relationship with the plane of the top thereof substantially tangent to the top of the cylinder. These bearing blocks would also support the journals 82 of the impression cylinder, and like the opposite ends of the beam 22, would be supported by the screws 24.

Hence, where the specification and the appended claims refer to the table or table means beneath the cylinder, the term should be understood as including the modified construction depicted in FIGURE 10.

As noted hereinbefore, since the straight edge 38 supports the pencil or other scribing tool 45 with its point in horizontal alignment with the cylinder axis, the same convenient relationship between the pencil and the cylinder surface is maintained, regardless of the diameter of the cylinder.

The vertical adjustability of the table height has still another purpose. As illustrated in FIGURE 9, because of this adjustability, a single operator following the method or procedure of this invention can safely and easily remove a cylinder from the machine and replace it with another, regardless of the diameters of the cylinders. The cylinder or cylinders not on the machine are supported upon cylinder storage stands 65, one of which is shown in end elevation in FIGURE 9. These stands are simply upright pedestals 66 firmly anchored to the floor and having saddles 67 at the top thereof. The saddles have a horizontal cylinder-receiving portion 68 and an upwardly inclined barrier portion 69.

The method of transferring a cylinder from the machine to an empty stand consists in bringing the machine into juxtaposition to the stands, with the rear of the machine facing the same. Then, after the bearing caps 33 have been removed, the table is elevated by means of the handle or crank 29, and brought to the level of the horizontal cylinder-receiving portion or saddle of the stands. As the table is thus raised, it

engages the bottom of the cylinder and as this relative vertical adjustment-between the table and the bearings is continued the cylinder is lifted off of its bearings 30, whereupon the cylinder may be rolled across the table 23 of the machine and onto the stands.

It will be noted that the proofing guides 55 keep the cylinder from rolling forward on the table of the machine so that with the machine correctly positioned and held adjacent to a stand 65, the transfer of the cylinder from the machine to the stands present no serious hazard and can be done by one man, despite the relatively great weight of the cylinder.

By the same token, transfer of a cylinder from a stand to the machine may be easily and safely done by one man.

If stands of different heights are provided, i.e. higher stands for smaller cylinders and lower stands for the larger diameter cylinders, it is never necessary to lift the cylinder beyond the height at which its journals clear the top of the bearings.

In the machine as described thus far, the cylinder 32 is at a fixed elevation, and the table 23 is raised and lowered, both during transfer of cylinders and for proofing. If desired, the reverse of this arrangement may be employed, i.e. the machine can be designed to have the cylinder adjustable up and down while the table (in either embodiment thereof) is fixed at a predetermined elevation. FIGURE 11 illustrates one way in which this reversal may' be accomplished. As there shown, the cylinder 32 is journaled in bearings 9t) which are supported on screws 91, (it being understood that the structure shown in FIGURE 11 is duplicated at the other end of the machine). These screws are threaded into worm Wheeels 83 which are held captive, i.e. against axial motion, by hearing cages 84 fixed to the end frames 11. Hence, by simultaneously rotating the worm wheels in the same direction, the cylinder may be raised or lowcred. To effect such rotation of the worm wheels, a screw shaft 85 having threaded engagement with the .worm wheels, is journaled in bearings carried by the end frames, and has one end thereof shaped to receive the crank handle 29.

To enable checking register, and to assist in locating the second and third color dies for multi-color printing, a Mylar check sheet 70 is hung from a cross bar '71, which is slidably mounted upon and spans the distance between a pair of upright, tubular guide posts 72. Weights '73 inside the guide posts and connected with the ends of the cross bar 71 by cables 74 trained over pulleys 74', yieldingly hold the cross bar in its uppermost position on the guides.

When checking is to be done, the sheet 70 has one edge thereof attached to the cross bar 71 in any suitable manner-as by hooking grommeted holes therein onto a row of headed pins 75. The opposite edge of the sheet, which then is lowermost, is hooked onto the attaching pins 46. Thereupon, counterclockwise rotation of the cylinder, as viewed from the end thereof at which the crank handle 29 is located, will draw the check sheet snugly about the cylinder and cause the die or dies thereon to make an impression on the sheet, it being understood that the die or dies will have been previously inked.

Where large open areas occur on the die mounting sheet, i.e. where the die or dies occupy a relatively small part of the area of the mounting sheet, it is desirable to attach spacer strips to blank areas of the die mounting sheet to maintain the check sheet at proper die height. Obviously, of course, in checking register, successive impressions will be made upon the check sheet by means of all of the dies used to apply the different colored inks.

From the foregoing description, taken in' connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that this invention greatly facilitates the pre-mounting of dies used on printer slotters and other presses which use flexible dies.

What is claimed as my invention is;

l. A die mounting machine, comprising:

(A) a base having spaced upright end frames;

(B) coaxial bearings on the end frames;

(C) a cylinder journalled in said bearings;

(D) a row of sheet-engaging elements on the cylinder,

parallel to the axis thereof,

(1) said sheet-engaging elements providing means by which one end of a die mounting sheet may be attached to the cylinder to be wrapped about the cylinder as the cylinder is rotated, with the die mounting sheet in a predetermined position on the cylinder preparatory to having a flexible die or dies bonded to the die mounting sheet;

(E) an upright track member on each end frame extending upwardly therefrom, said track members being parallel to one another;

(F) a cross bar extending from one to the other of said track members;

(G) means slidably mounting the opposite end portions of the cross bar on said track members so that the cross bar may be moved up and down with a translating motion toward and from the cylinder;

(H) sheet attaching elements on the cross bar;

(I) a check sheet having one end removably attached to said sheet attaching elements, and having its opposite end connectible to the sheet attaching elements on the cylinder; and

(J) means reacting between said upright track mem bers and said bar, yieldingly urging the bar upwardly on said track members, whereby connection of the lower end of the check sheet to the sheet-engaging elements on the cylinder and rotation of the cylinder wraps the check sheet about a die mounting sheet on the cylinder to effect an imprint of a die or dies on the die mounting sheet, upon the check sheet. 2. A die mounting machine comprising: (A) a portable base having (1) rigidly connected spaced apart upright end frames, and (2) casters to portably support the base; (B) coaxial bearings on the end frames at the top thereof,

(1) said bearings being adapted to receive the journals of a cylinder to be supported on the base, i (Z) the cylinder having means to facilitate the attachment of a die mounting sheet thereto; (C) an upright track member on each end frame extending upwardly therefrom, said track members being parallel to one another; (D) a cross bar spanning the distance between said upright track members; (E) means at the opposite ends of said cross bar slidably mounting the same on said track members, so

that the cross bar may be moved up and down along ingly urge the same to the upper limit of its movement along the track members; and

(G) means on said cross bar by which one end of a check sheet may be secured to said cross bar, with the check sheet hanging down from the bar to have its opposite lower end attached to a cylinder journalled in the bearings, whereby an impression may be made upon the check sheet by dies on a die mounting sheet attached to the cylinder upon attachment of the lower end of the check sheet to such cylinder and rotation of the cylinder to draw the check sheet thereabout.

3. The method of removing the cylinder of a die mounting machine wherein the cylinder is normally rotatably supported above a horizontal table which may serve as a proof bed over which a proof sheet may be fed to have an impression made thereon by a die or dies on the cylinder, by journals fixed on the ends of the cylinder and resting in upwardly facing bearings having removable caps, said method comprising the steps of:

(A) removing the bearing caps;

(B) effecting relative vertical adjustment between the bearings and the horizontal table to thereby bring the outer surface of the cylinder and the table into engagement and cause the cylinder to be supported solely by the table;

(C) continuing such relative vertical adjustment between the bearings and the horizontal table, to vertically separate the bearings from the journals on the ends of the cylinder, so that the cylinder may be rolled across the horizontal table without hindrance from the bearings;

(D) providing a cylinder supporting stand having a substantially horizontal saddle at substantially the same elevation that the horizontal table occupies ee to be rolled across the ing machine which has been removed in the manner set forth in claim 10, which comprises:

(A) providing a second stand with a replacement cylinder resting on its saddle;

(B) bringing, the machine and the second stand into juxtaposition with the saddle of the stand contiguous to one edge of the table on the machine;

(C) rolling the replacement cylinder off the saddle and onto and across the table to a position at which the journals on the ends of the replacement cylinder are directly over the bearings;

(D) effecting relative vertical adjustment between the table and the bearings to thereby cause the weight of the replacement cylinder to be borne by the bearings; and

(E) replacing the bearing caps.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 168,115 Tuchfarber Sept. 28, 1875 1,447,333 Bacon Mar. 6, 1923 1,513,082 Bacon Oct. 28, 1924 2,428,428 McCarter Oct. 7, 1947 2,567,049 Belluche Sept. 4, 1951 2,792,781 Kaldschmidt May 21, 1957 2,907,274 Taylor Oct. 6, 1959 

1. A DIE MOUNTING MACHINE, COMPRISING: (A) A BASE HAVING SPACED UPRIGHT END FRAMES; (B) COAXIAL BEARINGS ON THE END FRAMES; (C) A CYLINDER JOURNALLED IN SAID BEARINGS; (D) A ROW OF SHEET-ENGAGING ELEMENTS ON THE CYLINDER, PARALLEL TO THE AXIS THEREOF, (1) SAID SHEET-ENGAGING ELEMENTS PROVIDING MEANS BY WHICH ONE END OF A DIE MOUNTING SHEET MAY BE ATTACHED TO THE CYLINDER TO BE WRAPPED ABOUT THE CYLINDER AS THE CYLINDER IS ROTATED, WITH THE DIE MOUNTING SHEET IN A PREDETERMINED POSITION ON THE CYLINDER PREPARATORY TO HAVING A FLEXIBLE DIE OR DIES BONDED TO THE DIE MOUNTING SHEET; (E) AN UPRIGHT TRACK MEMBER ON EACH END FRAME EXTENDING UPWARDLY THEREFROM, SAID TRACK MEMBERS BEING PARALLEL TO ONE ANOTHER; (F) A CROSS BAR EXTENDING FROM ONE TO THE OTHER OF SAID TRACK MEMBERS; 